Character Education

LaTraci Aldridge, Family Resource Coordinator

Character Education

LaTraci Aldridge, Family Resource Coordinator

I need to study, but how??

Well that's exactly what we talked about this month, how to study and best study habits. We discussed why we should have good study habits. Even though we may not have big tests right now, we have to develop good study habits at a young age. So when you do get the bigger tests in high school and college you will be better prepared.

Some people deal with text anxiety. Test anxiety is the stress that comes when you have to take as test. For some people, its not that severe and for others it can be very severe. Some signs of test anxiety can include nervousness, being agitated, blanking out, forgetting things, feeling sick, headaches, and stomachaches are just a few. Different people have different responses to test anxiety. There are some ways you can help deal with your test anxiety.

1. Be prepared for the test. Not being prepared can cause test anxiety to be greater. Make time to study in advance. Don't wait to the last minute to study.

2. Get plenty of rest the night before. Just like your body needs rest so do your brain. It will be hard to focus if you're tire.

3. Eat a good breakfast. You have to fuel your brain and you do that by eating! You also don't want to lose focus over a growling stomach.

4. Think positive. This may be one of the most important ones. Be your #1 cheerleader. Boost yourself up! Tell yourself that you can do it and BELIEVE it!!!!

5. Once the test is over, be done with the test. What that means is once you turn in the test, don't stress over how you did, whether you passed or failed. At that point, there is nothing you can do about it, so don't stress it. If you didn't do as well as you hoped, think about what you can do differently before the next test to do better.

In the 1st-5th grade classes, we had the opportunity to go a field trip. Each class went to a different location. Some went to the brain, some went to eyeball and some went to the cell phone. We were able to go on the field trip on a website called Gonoodle. <---click here to go to the website. GoNoodle is an awesome website that has games, brain breaks, and even yoga for students. Parents are able to setup an account for free to use with their students.

In 6th-8th grade classes, they also learned about their learning styles. Learning style is simply how you learn the best. Some of us are visual learners. We have to see it to grasp it. Others are auditory learners. We need to hear it. Some of us a tactile or kinesthetic learners. These learners needs a hands on approach to learn. We can call be a combination of these, but usually one is more dominant. Knowing your learning style can help you study better. Because we all learn differently, teachers tend to teach in different ways in hopes that all students will be able to learn the same material. You can learn what your learning style is here.

What's coming up next month?

Next month will be our last class!!! I'm going to miss this class. Hard to believe that we have reached the end of the year already. There will be only 1 class offered next month. The outing will be the 3rd week and then of course school will be out the next week. Next month will just be a recap of the year and check-in. So I hope to see you there for our last class of the year! Its going to be fun!!

Parent's Corner

Do you have plans for your students this summer?? Summer camp? Family Vacation? Lounging around the house all day? Well whatever it is, summer break will be here in just a few weeks. So are some some suggestions for what you can do with the kids during the break that will keep the kids busy, help keep you sane and some won't even break the bank.

1. Go to the park. Do your kids love being outside and playing. My boys loooove it. Once summer break hits they are ready to hit the door to go outside and play and not come in until dark. I know for some kids this is a foreign concept. So if you're tired of seeing them go from the iPad to the Xbox to the computer then why not shut everything down and head to the park. It will help with kids burn off some of that energy they are sure to have extra off during summer break. And of course, this one is a freebie and you may be able to squeeze a little exercise or refresher for yourself **Winning**

2. Hit up a museum. Check out local websites for the museums in your area. Sometimes they offer discounts during the summer. In Memphis, the pink palace offers a discounted membership for the summer. Be a tourist for a day in your own city.

3. Checkout the activities on K12s Liftoff website. Go to http://www.learningliftoff.com/ to see all of the different activities they have for suggestions. The website also has games and lots of great info for you and the kids. Not only is this one a freebie, but it is also a good way to keep your student's brain engaged during the summer break. Doing school work over the summer can be very beneficial for a student especially when they return in August.

4. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!! Or frozen yogurt. I'm sure with summer around the corner we are headed for some hot weather and what goes best with hot weather (besides a dip in the pool? Ice cream or frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt seems to be becoming a new alternative to ice cream. I know in the past few years in Memphis, we have had 2 new yogurt places to open up. Yogurt Mountain and Menchies. Click the name of the stores to go directly to their website to see if there is one in your area. My family and I tried Menchies for the 1st time this past weekend and OMG it was delicious and I normally don't like frozen yogurt. But this was great! And you can add all kinds of toppings to it, even some fresh fruit. We will definitely be going back.

5. Summer Camp. Summer camps can definitely be a fun place for kids to go. There all kinds of summer camps. Some camps are like your traditional camp where go and play games, go on field trips, have educational activities and it lasts pretty much the entire summer. The prices for these camps vary and some camps offer discounts for siblings or if you qualify for certain state assistance. Contact your local community centers, churches, and YMCAs to get information on their camps. There are also sports based camps. These are usually 1 week long or once a week for a month.

However your kids spend their summer, I hope they enjoy it and have fun and are safe and come back ready to start the new year!